Google claims record share of online traffic

Google has set a new internet traffic record, according to a recent report from Arbor Networks.

The web security and monitoring firm said that its latest figures show Google logging 6.4 per cent share of all online traffic in September.

"While the business press may debate Google's future, its traffic growth continues apace with massive corresponding impact on the network topology, peering arrangements and the overall internet infrastructure," wrote Arbor Networks chief scientist Craig Labovitz in a blog post.

The figure places Google among the largest traffic handlers in the world. Arbor Networks estimates that the 6.4 per cent share places the search firm ahead of all but one of the world's internet service providers.

The true share of web traffic that Google operates could be even larger when a margin for error and traffic from the Google global cache is factored in, Labovitz said.

The report comes as Google continues to struggle with legal issues, particularly the collection of Wi-Fi data by its Street View service.

The company has launched a new privacy initiative to help ease these fears, but the UK Information Commissioner has reopened its investigation amid new revelations about the data collected.